Julian Nagelsmann feels Germany’s rebuild ahead of hosting Euro 2024 cannot just be done from the back.
Germany face Turkey in a friendly on Saturday night in Berlin at the Olympiastadion, where the final of next summer’s showpiece tournament will be played.
Former boss Hansi Flick was sacked after an early exit at the World Cup was followed by a five-game winless run which ended with a 4-1 defeat by Japan in Wolfsburg.
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Nagelsmann took over Die Mannschaft ahead of the tour to the United States during October, with his side going on to beat the hosts 3-1 and draw 2-2 with Mexico.
The former RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich head coach accepts tightening up in defence will be key to hopes of making an impact on home soil next summer – but stressed it must not be his squad’s only focus.
“We want to have good (defensive) stability. There are moments when we want to give up less space to the opponents. We want to defend highly, but also give less space for balls behind our line,” Nagelsmann said.
“With a view to the Euros, a good defence is important, but we will not seek our salvation only on the defensive.
“We want to become even more dominant in the game to reduce the time we have to defend.”
Nagelsmann confirmed goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen would be returning to Barcelona as he deals with “acute back pain”, so will also not be available for next week’s trip to Austria.
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Manuel Neuer is working his way back to full fitness with Bayern following almost a year in recovery after breaking his leg while skiing.
Nagelsmann feels the 37-year-old should be allowed all the time he needs to get fully match fit and not face any extra pressure of a swift recall back to the national team.
“Anyone who listened to the reasons explaining the decision (not to call him up) can answer the question itself, why it has made sense not to nominate him (for the current squad),” Nagelsmann told a press conference.
“There are reasons that he has stayed at home and that is why a call-up now makes no sense.
“Manu has played a top role since his return and he should be allowed to continue.
“Afterwards, then at the Euros, the players who perform will play.”
Mats Hummels, a World Cup winner in 2014, should be involved after the Borussia Dortmund defender returned to training following his own back issue.
Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan is set to face his parent’s home nation for the first time.
The Gelsenkirchen-born Barcelona midfielder said: “It will be a very special game for me, no question about it.
“My grandparents, parents and other relatives still live in Turkey in Izmir, and of course I also have many friends there.
“I am really looking forward to it and I hope for a great football festival.”
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Turkey have already qualified for next summer’s finals, sitting top of Group D and will head to Wales next week for their last fixture.
New head coach Vincenzo Montella will be without captain Hakan Calhanoglu, who is recovering from a respiratory infection while his wife is also about to give birth to their child.
Fenerbahce winger Cengiz Under is another who did not travel to Germany as he continues to manage various fitness issues.
Jude Bellingham has been awarded the 2023 Golden Boy award for the best player in Europe aged under 21.
The prize was established by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport 20 years ago and is voted for by 50 sports journalists across the continent.
In a video message on tuttosport.com, England star Bellingham said: “I just wanted to thank everyone who voted for me for the 2023 Golden Boy. I really appreciate it.
“I’d like to thank everyone that’s been part of my journey so far at Birmingham, Dortmund and now Madrid. It wouldn’t be possible without them. There’s so many, I’d be here for hours naming them all.
“Lastly and most importantly my family, who give me the support and the motivation and the love every day to keep striving.
“Now that I’ve got this beautiful award, I want to keep going and keep pushing the limits of my potential and hopefully many more trophies to come.”
Bellingham has made a huge impact since moving from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in the summer, scoring 13 goals in 14 matches, including both in a 2-1 victory over Barcelona last month.
The 20-year-old was awarded the Kopa Trophy last month for the best young player in the world at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
He is the third English player to win the Golden Boy after Wayne Rooney in 2004 and Raheem Sterling in 2014. The award will be presented at a gala in Turin on December 4.
Everton have been hit with an unprecedented 10-point penalty after being found to have “taken chances” with the Premier League’s financial rules.
An independent commission found the club’s desire to improve their on-pitch performance had resulted in them acting “irresponsibly” and exceeding permitted losses under the league’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
The points deduction drops Everton to 19th in the table and leaves major question marks over whether a sale of the club by current owner Farhad Moshiri to an American investment firm, 777 Partners, will proceed.
The club immediately indicated their intention to appeal against the sanction. It is understood the appeal will be heard during the course of the current season.
Everton could also now face compensation claims against them over the case.
The Premier League published a commission judgement from May which granted five clubs – Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Leicester and Burnley – 28 days from Friday to inform the commission of their intention to pursue a compensation claim.
None of those clubs have so far commented on this matter.
The Premier League’s PSR permit losses of £105million over a three-year period. Everton’s losses up to 2021-22 were found to be £124.5million, exceeding the limit by £19.5million even accounting for allowances made for the Covid-19 pandemic.
The club put forward various items they felt should be excluded from the PSR calculation, including interest costs related to the construction of their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, the portion of the club’s transfer levy related to youth development and the £10m lost on the club’s decision not to seek damages against a player whose contract was terminated in 2021.
Everton also argued that a depressed summer transfer market in 2020 owing to Covid-19 reduced the revenue they would have earned from player sales. They also said they had lost out on a £200m stadium naming rights deal with USM as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed by the British Government. USM is a conglomerate whose single largest stakeholder is Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
However, the commission concluded: “The cause of Everton’s PSR difficulties was the fact that it overspent (largely on its purchase of new players and its inability to sell other players), and because it finished lower in the league than it had projected in FY 2022 (16th against the projected 6th – causing a loss of expected income of c.£21 million).
“Everton’s understandable desire to improve its on-pitch performance (to replace the non-existent midfield, as Mr Moshiri put it in evidence) led it to take chances with its PSR position: those chances resulted in it exceeding the £105 million threshold by £19.5 million.
“The position that Everton finds itself in is of its own making – it is Everton’s responsibility to ensure that it complies with the PSR regime. The excess over the threshold is significant. The consequence is that Everton’s culpability is great.
“We take into account the fact that Everton’s PSR trend over the relevant four years is positive, but cannot ignore the fact that the failure to comply with the PSR regime was the result of Everton irresponsibly taking a chance that things would turn out positively.
“Further, Everton was less than frank in its dealings with the Premier League over the stadium interest issue.
“The reality is that Everton failed to manage its finances so as to operate within the generous threshold of £105m. Its mismanagement led to that threshold being exceeded by £19.5million.
“This was a serious breach that requires a significant penalty.”
The commission concluded that a sporting sanction was the only option for a club owned by a billionaire like Moshiri.
“A financial penalty for a club that enjoys the support of a wealthy owner is not a sufficient penalty,” the commission’s written reasons stated.
“We agree with the Premier League that the requirements of punishment, deterrence, vindication of compliant clubs, and the protection of the integrity of the sport demand a sporting sanction in the form of a points deduction. The issue is not the form of sanction, but its extent.”
The written reasons show Everton’s position was that any sanction imposed by the commission should be financial rather than sporting in nature, but said if it had to be a sporting sanction then a transfer ban would be more appropriate than a points deduction.
The club said in a statement: “Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s commission.
“The club believes that the commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction.
“The club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League. The appeal process will now commence and the club’s case will be heard by an Appeal Board appointed pursuant to the Premier League’s rules in due course.
“Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League and that it has always respected the integrity of the process.
“The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings.
“Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted.
“The club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.”
Portsmouth and Middlesbrough are the only other clubs to have been docked points in Premier League history. Pompey were hit with a 10-point sanction in March 2010 after entering administration while Boro’s three-point penalty in January 1997 related to a short-notice match postponement the previous month. Both clubs were relegated at the end of the season.
Rob Page hopes the presence of Aaron Ramsey can help Wales realise their Euro 2024 dream after the injured captain joined them on their long trek to Armenia.
Midfielder Ramsey has not played since mid-September after damaging a knee tendon, missing last month’s stunning victory over World Cup semi-finalists Croatia that has left automatic qualification in Wales’ own hands entering the final two games.
The 32-year-old, however, has taken the unusual step of an injured player being present for Wales’ 4,600-round mile trip to Yerevan, one of European football’s most remote outposts.
“Rambo’s travelled with the lads, which is brilliant,” Page said ahead of Saturday’s penultimate qualifier at the Republican Stadium, scene of their only previous visit to this corner of Eastern Europe in 2001 – a game the manager played in.
“It’s the presence around the changing room. I used to say it with Gareth Bale. Aaron falls into the same category for me.
“The wealth of experience he’s got. Just being around young JJ (Jordan James), who can pick his brains on just about anything. He’s the captain and he’s been wanting to travel. He’s been with the group all week.
“He’s done his little bits of work that he’s needed to for Cardiff. He’s got a plan and gone off and done his own bits.
“We’ve had to find a training ground for him, but he wants to be around the boys and I think that speaks volumes about what we’ve got as a group.”
Wales know two closing victories – already-qualified Turkey are the visitors to Cardiff on Tuesday – will see them secure qualification for a fourth tournament out of five.
Dropped points will need them relying on favourable results elsewhere and the prospect of avoiding the play-offs in March where the likes of Norway, Poland and Ukraine could be lurking.
“The camp has been great all week. The positivity has been incredible,” said Page, who has a difficult selection call to make with Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson available after missing the Croatia win through injury.
“There’s enough experience in that changing room of big games, when you need big players to step up for big games – and this is a big game for us.
“Our full focus is on this game. We’re not even talking about Tuesday’s game. We’ve got enough experience to cope with this.
“We haven’t got anything where you need that siege mentality (like Wales did in October) but we’re coming off the back of one of the best performances we’ve ever had, certainly of my tenure.
“We can’t be complacent, we need consistency when it comes to that level of performance. If we do that the result will look after itself.”
Ben Davies, as he did against Croatia, will lead Wales in the absence of Ramsey and playing at Euro 2024 would represent the Tottenham defender’s fourth major tournament – three European Championships and the 2022 World Cup.
Davies said: “This is the dream for us and it doesn’t matter if you’ve done it once or three or four times.
“We’re confident as a group that on the day we can beat anybody. We’ve done that in the last two and we want to show that again.
“We’re a good group, a tight-knit group, and it’s nice to see the same faces every time you come.
“You end up playing as a family and I think that where our success has been gained, being a band of brothers out there.”
A football fan who mocked mascot Bradley Lowery during a match against the youngster’s favourite team has been spared immediate jail by a judge who said his actions were “utterly appalling” and “disgraceful”.
Sheffield Wednesday fan Dale Houghton, 32, taunted Sunderland fans with a picture of Bradley, who died in 2017, on his phone during a match at Hillsborough Stadium on September.
Houghton, from Rotherham, admitted a public order offence at a previous hearing and on Friday he was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work by District Judge Marcus Waite.
Mr Waite said: “You showed callous disrespect to a brave young man who was righty held in the highest esteem by football fans everywhere.”
Scotland drew 2-2 with Georgia in Tbilisi in the penultimate match of their successful European Championship qualifying campaign.
Scott McTominay and substitute Lawrence Shankland both hit equalisers after Napoli attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck twice for the hosts.
Here are five things we learned from the encounter in the Boris Paichadze Stadium ahead of Scotland’s final Group A game against Norway on Sunday.
Substitutes are key again
Kenny McLean scored a late winner off the bench in Oslo in June and the substitute made a more sustained if less spectacular impact on Thursday night. The Norwich midfielder set up McTominay to level and generally helped improve Scotland’s possession after a slack first half with fellow half-time replacement Lewis Ferguson also contributing. Shankland then headed home in stoppage time from fellow sub Stuart Armstrong’s cross with Anthony Ralston also showing up well in a brief cameo. Manager Steve Clarke has not always been quick to make changes but it appears that the bench is becoming more and more important to Scotland in the five-subs era.
Shankland stakes his claim
The Hearts striker dropped out of the squad last month but earned a late call-up on the back of five goals in his last five club games when Che Adams pulled out. The 28-year-old seized his chance when he rose well to head home. “We needed a goal and you know Lawrence has always got a chance of getting a goal,” said Clarke as he explained why he had used him. Scotland will undoubtedly need a goal at some stage in Germany next summer and an in-form Shankland is arguably the most natural goalscorer Scotland have.
Pot two still in reach
Spain’s late goal in Seville last month wiped out Scotland’s head-to-head advantage and any realistic chance of Clarke’s side topping the group. Scotland would need to beat Norway on Sunday while Georgia win in Spain for that to happen. There is a better chance of Scotland finishing as the best runners-up and sealing a place in pot two for next month’s draw. That looks likely to be Austria, assuming Belgium beat Azerbaijan, but a two-goal win or a high-scoring one-goal victory could put the Scots among the second seeds. However, that could theoretically hand Scotland a tougher draw given the likes of Netherlands, Denmark, Italy or Ukraine are headed for pot three.
Zander Clark shows his mettle
The Hearts goalkeeper was beaten at his near post for Kvaratskhelia’s opener but there were bigger factors in the lead-up to the goal which left the former St Johnstone man exposed on his competitive debut. Clark went on to make three assured saves including one in the dying seconds.
Back four experiment has mixed success
With Kieran Tierney, Andy Robertson and Aaron Hickey joining long-term absentee Grant Hanley on the sidelines in recent weeks, Clarke went with a back four featuring Nathan Patterson, Ryan Porteous, Scott McKenna and Greg Taylor. Scotland seemed more open as a result, especially in the first half, although they dominated the final half hour. Tierney’s return to fitness looks key to Scotland’s Euro 2024 prospects given his influence in the back three.
Zander Clark has got the taste for more Scotland caps after making his competitive debut in the 2-2 draw in Georgia.
With Angus Gunn injured, the Hearts goalkeeper got the nod for his first Scotland start ahead of Motherwell’s Liam Kelly.
Clark bounced back from the loss of an early goal to make several assured stops including one in the dying seconds following Tynecastle team-mate Lawrence Shankland’s stoppage-time equaliser.
The recognition has been a long time coming for the former St Johnstone player, who was tipped for a call-up long before he first broke into Steve Clarke’s squad in August 2021.
“I am immensely proud,” the 31-year-old said. “I was proud when I got the 45 minutes in France but to get the first competitive one means an awful lot.
“Representing your country is something you dream of as a kid and thankfully I have been able to do it.
“Hopefully I have done enough and I can try and get many more but I know it’s going to be a tough ask. But I am just delighted to eventually get to taste it and it’s something I want more of.
“On a personal level, delighted, as a collective there is obviously a bit of disappointment not to take three points from the game. But we said after it, when you can’t win the game, you just need to make sure you don’t lose it.”
Clark admitted he had to focus on the game rather than his own excitement after hearing he was in the team ahead of Kelly and Robby McCrorie.
“It was just in the pre-match meeting, the manager named the team,” he said.
“The three of us have worked this week in the build-up to it, so it was going to be a tough decision, I was just thankful I managed to get the nod.
“I was obviously delighted but you just need to put it to the back of your mind and concentrate on the game, which I thought I did.
“It’s a proud moment to see your name in the starting line-up but you quickly forget about that and it’s mind on the business.”
Clark showed strong hands to parry several efforts as Georgia displayed how they qualified for the Euro 2024 play-offs with an unbeaten Nations League record.
“As a goalkeeper you want to make saves that can help the team get a result,” he said. “I felt I had a couple of decent ones.
“Obviously you want to prevent the goals but credit to the boys, they made it stuffy for us, pegged us back twice and came back and got the draw in the end.”
The manager gave little away on his plans for the position earlier this week after allowing Clark and Kelly to share duties in France last month.
And the Hearts player is keen to continue in goal for Sunday’s final Group A game against Norway as the Tartan Army finally get the chance to celebrate qualification en masse.
“It will be a great game,” he said. More positive going into it on the back of not losing. Back in front of the crowd at Hampden will be joyous, I would imagine.
“We know it will be a tough game but if we play the way the manager and coaching staff want us to play, we have a right good chance of picking up three points.”
Everton have been deducted 10 points with immediate affect after being found to have breached Premier League financial rules.
The Toffees have confirmed their intention to appeal against the sanction, which relates to the period ending in the 2021-22 season.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look back at the two other Premier League clubs to be handed a points deduction.
Portsmouth (March 2010)
Portsmouth were deducted nine points in 2010 after the south-coast club went into administration.
The sanction all but rubber-stamped Pompey’s relegation, as they were left 17 points from safety with nine league games remaining.
Despite the off-field issues, with the club reportedly having debts of £65million, Avram Grant took Portsmouth to the FA Cup final that season, where they were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea before facing up to life in the Championship.
Middlesbrough (January 1997)
Middlesbrough were given a three-point deduction after postponing a Premier League match at short notice for not having enough fit players to put out a team.
Ahead of the game against Blackburn at Ewood Park, scheduled for Saturday, December 21 1996, Bryan Robson’s already injury-hit squad was further depleted by a virus.
On the Friday morning, Boro were left with only 17 players available – three of them being goalkeepers while five were without a first-team appearance for the club, and so informed the Premier League they would have to call off the game.
Boro were eventually ordered to appear before a Premier League commission, which ruled a three-point deduction would be imposed and the Blackburn match to be replayed.
Robson’s side went on to reach the finals of both the League Cup and FA Cup, losing both, but were relegated from the Premier League by two points.
Everton have been deducted 10 points by an independent commission after being found to have breached Premier League financial rules.
The league referred Everton to the commission in March for an alleged breach of its profitability and sustainability rules in the period ending in the 2021-22 season.
The rules allow clubs to lose a maximum £105million over a three-year period or face sanctions.
Everton issued a statement confirming their intention to appeal against the sanction.
The Premier League said in a statement published on its official website: “During the proceedings, the club admitted it was in breach of the PSRs for the period ending Season 2021/22 but the extent of the breach remained in dispute.
“Following a five-day hearing last month, the Commission determined that Everton FC’s PSR Calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5million, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105million permitted under the PSRs.
“The Commission concluded that a sporting sanction in the form of a 10-point deduction should be imposed. That sanction has immediate effect.”
Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is set for a lengthy injury layoff after damaging a knee ligament while on international duty with France.
The 21-year-old damaged his knee during a training session this week as Les Bleus prepared for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Gibraltar and returned to Madrid to undergo medical checks.
A statement from Real read: “After tests carried out on Eduardo Camavinga by Real Madrid’s medical team, he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the external lateral ligament in his right knee. We are awaiting further developments.”
Camavinga, who can also play at left-back, recently signed a new contract with LaLiga giants Real that runs until June 2029. He has made 116 appearances for the capital club since joining from Rennes in August 2021.
In his relatively short career with Los Blancos he has already amassed a large collection of trophies, including the Champions League, Club World Cup, European Super Cup, LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.
Tottenham got the "deal of the century" when they signed James Maddison from Leicester City in the summer.
That is the view of their former striker Bobby Zamora, who has been impressed by the start Ange Postecoglou has made as manager after joining from Celtic.
It was a dramatic transfer window for Spurs as they sold talismanic striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, with England international Maddison, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, defender Micky van de Ven and winger Brennan Johnson among the players brought in.
England international Maddison has been ruled out until January with an ankle injury after making a stunning start for Spurs, scoring three goals and five assists in 11 Premier League matches after joining for around £40million.
His form has helped Tottenham fourth in the table, just two points behind leaders Manchester City, with Zamora – who played for the club in the 2003-04 season – liking what he sees.
"They are very impressive," Zamora said to Stats Perform, speaking on the Pro Am Padel Tour.
"The manager, I really like him as well. They have made a couple of good signings and when you see Maddison, he has certainly been on fire.
"I can't believe the price they paid for him and it's the deal of the century to be honest.
"They're looking in a really good place and it'll be interesting to see if they can continue that form for the whole year or not."
After the international break, Spurs are back in action with a crunch home match against in-form Aston Villa on November 26.
Kane, meanwhile, has made a sensational start with Bayern. He has scored 17 goals in just 11 Bundesliga appearances, the highest total in Europe’s top five leagues, adding five assists as well.
He has scored another four goals in the Champions League too and Zamora understands the England captain's move given his desire to play at the highest level and desire to finally win some silverware.
Zamora added: "He has gone out there to win something, which I don't blame him for.
"He spent a lot of time at Tottenham and has done fantastically well for them.
"If he wants a bit of silverware, I think he's moved there to Bayern and he's going to get some silverware.
"Plus [it helps] that he has not gone to any rival clubs in and around Spurs."
Wales play their penultimate Euro 2024 qualifier in Armenia on Saturday.
Automatic qualification is in Wales’ own hands as two closing victories will book their place in Germany next summer.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the main talking points of the game in Yerevan.
Deja vu
The parallels between Wales’ successful Euro 2020 qualification and the current campaign are hard to resist.
Wales reached Euro 2020 with a fast finish – holding 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia to a Cardiff draw before winning in Azerbaijan and downing Hungary after back-to-back summer defeats.
Having suffered another pointless June and just beaten Croatia in Cardiff, Wales head to the Caucasus region again to take on Azerbaijan’s neighbour Armenia before finishing with a visit from Turkey.
Six more points will do.
Brennan’s back
The loss of Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson to injury last month was a big blow.
Johnson’s pace and movement can trouble any defence, but boss Rob Page plugged the gap against Croatia by utilising a three-man forward line of David Brooks, Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore.
All three performed superbly with Wilson claiming a match-winning double.
Johnson is expected to return, however – possibly at the expense of Brooks – with Page also likely to use the pace of Daniel James from the bench.
Midfield promise
There was much wailing in Wales when Joe Allen hung up his international boots following the World Cup in Qatar.
Allen played a massive role over the last decade and midfield was seen as a problem area in the wake of his departure.
But Ethan Ampadu, with nearly 50 caps at the age of 23, has shown his leadership qualities in striking up an effective partnership with 19-year-old Jordan James.
The pair were magnificent in getting the better of Croatia’s much-vaunted midfield last month.
Repeat or revenge?
Wales have failed to beat Armenia in three meetings.
There were two draws in 2002 World Cup qualifying, 2-2 in Yerevan when John Hartson scored a brace, before a goalless Cardiff clash.
Wales were expected to breeze past Armenia – 71 places below them on the FIFA rankings when they met in June – but a 4-2 defeat damaged their Euro 2024 qualification hopes.
More than one Welsh player has mentioned avenging that loss in the build-up to the Yerevan return.
Yellow peril
Defensive pair Chris Mepham and Neco Williams will be walking disciplinary tightropes in Armenia.
Both players have picked up two bookings in the campaign, and a third would rule them out of Tuesday’s final qualifier against Turkey.
Wales have yet to lose any player to three bookings, although Joe Morrell and Kieffer Moore served two-match bans for respective red cards against Turkey and Armenia in the summer.
What the papers say
Striker Ivan Toney will demand a transfer release clause if he is to sign a new contract with Brentford, according to The Sun.
Kylian Mbappe has agreed on a deal with Paris St Germain to forgo significant bonuses, according to the Daily Mail. But the France striker, 24, is still to sign a new contract.
Manchester City will compete with Liverpool to re-sign Bayern Munich forward Leroy Sane, 27, reports The Sun.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Finley Gorman: Manchester City have agreed on a £1.2million deal to sign the 15-year-old Leeds attacking midfielder, says Football Insider.
Jakub Kiwior: Arsenal are open to letting the Polish 23-year-old leave the club on loan as he is keen on more first-team football, according to 90min.
United States and Panama both placed a foot in the Concacaf Nations League semi-final and, by extension, next year's Copa America, after they registered identical 3-0 victories in the first legs of their respective League A quarterfinals on Thursday.
United States vs. Trinidad and Tobago
A late surge earned the United States victory over Trinidad and Tobago at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Antonee Robinson had a goal and an assist, as the United States scored three goals in the final 10 minutes of regular time to secure a healthy cushion going into Monday’s return leg.
As expected, United States dominated proceedings from the start, but they posed little threat in front of goal against a well-organised Trinidad and Tobago defence.
A second yellow card to Noah Powder in the 37th, saw the Soca Warriors down to 10 men with more than a half to play, and that prompted their host to commit numbers forward even more in search of the opening goal.
Trinidad and Tobago were stout-hearted and defiant at the back, especially goalkeeper Denzil Smith, whose confidence grew by saving a Yunus Musah attempt from distance and then a Sergino Dest shot.
However, their resistance was inevitably broken in the 81st, when Robinson’s cross from the left wing was flicked in by Ricardo Pepi to make it 1-0 to the home side.
While the goal inspired United States to push for more, it broke the hearts of the Trinidadians, and they imploded defensively as a result. Minutes after supplying the assist on the go-ahead goal, Robinson added a goal himself with a powerful left-footed finish in the 86th.
United States were keen to tack on one more before the final whistle and they did it in the 89th when Gio Reyna gathered a pass Folarin Balogun and fired into net to complete the 3-0 scoreline.
Costa Rica vs. Panama
Panama for the second straight time outclassed Costa Rica in a Nations League fixture at the Estadio Saprissa in San Jose.
After defeating the Ticos 1-0 in Costa Rica in the 2022-23 Nations League group stage, the Canaleros achieved the same feat, this time by a wider scoreline.
It was a dream start for Panama, as a picture-perfect fourth-minute free kick Michael Murillo went blazing into the top right corner of the net.
Panama remained on the front foot, and they doubled their advantage in the 29th when a miscued clearance from Costa Rica's defence allowed Jose Fajardo to swoop in and finish a right-footed effort.
Costa Rica sought a response and Jimmy Marin went close to pulling a goal back with a 33rd-minute shot that grazed the post.
Costa Rica mounted pressure to start the second half, but it allowed Panama to counterattack with space, and the visitors made the most of a break in the 60th. That play ended with Adalberto Carrasquilla sliding a pass into Cecilio Waterman, whose finish made it 3-0.
With the three-goal cushion, Panama played to their liking, but also kept the Costa Rican attack at bay, as they saw out the remainder of the contest for the win.
Guadeloupe consolidated their lead atop Group A in League B of the Concacaf Nations League, following a 2-0 win over St Maarten, while St Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis played out a goalless draw on Thursday.
The results saw Guadeloupe move to 12 points, two points ahead of St Lucia on 10 points, as they chase promotion to League A. St Kitts and Nevis and St Maarten are on four and three points respectively.
St Kitts and Nevis vs. St Lucia
It was a night of mishits for St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia at the SKNFA Technical Center in Basseterre.
Ronaldo Belgrove had a driving effort towards goal in the third minute, but St Lucia's Melvin Doxilly averted the danger.
Belgrove had a better look two minutes later with a rifle towards goal, but this time goalkeeper Vino Barclett got in the way.
Omari Sterling-James of St Kitts and Nevis tried his luck in the 25th, while Raheem Somersall had an attempt five minutes later.
Caniggia Elva had the best chance for the visitors in the 41st, but goalkeeper Julani Archibald proved equal to the task.
Both teams continued to give as good as they got, as they continued to throw their weight in attack, but couldn't find the elusive winner.
St Maarten vs. Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe continued winning ways against St Maarten at the Wildey Turf Stadium in Wildey, Barbados.
They generated quality chances early with Matthias Phaeton getting a look on frame in the 10th minute.
Imar Kort had the best look for St Maarten in the 23rd with a hit from the middle of the field.
Ange Plumain also went close in the 39th, with Phaeton again proving a menace in the 45th, but failed to get on target for the breakthrough.
It wasn't until the 65th minute that the deadlock was finally broken courtesy of Plumain, who made no mistakes from close range.
Phaeton should have extended the lead in the 70th, but again failed to get his effort on goal at that point.
Kort had a direct shot towards goal, but goalkeeper Davy Rouyard was on hand to deny the effort.
Phaeton found the back of the net five minutes into second half stoppage time to ice the game and seal the three points.
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